If President Donald Trump truly wants U.S. District Judge James Boasberg off the bench, he risks upsetting a pillar of the judicial establishment — particularly the conservative one.
The New York Times reported Monday on the extensive ties between both Judge Boasberg and Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was Trump's second appointment to the nation's highest court during his first term. Both men are graduates of Yale University's law school, and both are deeply respected by longtime conservative voices in the legal world. 17 of Boasberg's former clerks have gone on to work for the Supreme Court, and five of those clerks worked for Republican-appointed justices. Boasberg and Kavanaugh were also roommates at 61 Lake Place in New Haven, Connecticut.
Trump has called for Boasberg's ouster after he ruled against him regarding the deportation of a Maryland resident to El Salvador, and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas) has already authored articles of impeachment against the judge first appointed to the Washington D.C. Superior Court by George W. Bush and elevated by Barack Obama. That man — Kilmar Abrego Garcia — had a court order in his favor specifically prohibiting him from being deported to El Salvador due to likely persecution from the current regime.
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Tim Fitton, who is president of the conservative Judicial Watch organization, told the Times that Boasberg is a "personable" jurist who is "excellent on the bench."
"Some may view his opinions as conservative, and others may view them as liberal, but they’re all faithful applications of the law to the case before him," said former judge David Tatel, who was appointed to the Washington D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals by former President Bill Clinton.
Even stalwart Trump ally Mike Davis of the conservative Article III Project admitted that Boasberg — who he derisively referred to as a "political actor," has well-connected "buddies" in high places. Davis told the Times that he was "way out over his skis" in ruling against Trump, and that it was an open question about whether his friends would "protect him."
In addition to the deportation case, Boasberg is also presiding over another Trump-related case later this month. The veteran judge will be overseeing the case brought against several top national security officials within the Trump administration regarding their use of the Signal messaging app to discuss highly sensitive attack plans in Yemen last month.
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